Gary Neville has namechecked Newcastle United's owners in outlining his 'manifesto' for the expected takeover of Manchester United. The Glazer family have reportedly set a deadline for Friday for prospective buyers of the Red Devils to declare their interest.
Manchester United's controversial owners are said to be seeking a £6 billion price tag to commit to a sale of Newcastle's upcoming Carabao Cup final opponents. Qatari investors have reportedly already held talks over a takeover, while billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe has again been linked to the club.
The protracted takeover on Tyneside, backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, was finally confirmed in October 2021. The deal attracted controversy on the back of the Kingdom's human rights record, while renewing focus on the question of state ownership of football clubs.
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Neville feels the Red Devils' lofty price tag severely limits the scope for prospective owners. The Sky Sports pundit believes 'the horse is already bolted' when it comes to Qatari or Saudi ownership in the Premier League, and the former full back believes supporters can only realistically hope the successful buyers will make the club 'debt free'.
He told the Gary Neville Podcast: "To be honest with you, I feel it's a little bit like the devil in the deep blue sea. If there's someone buying Manchester United for £5bn, it's either going to be a consortium of US investors or it's going to be a Middle Eastern or a Chinese state.
"The reality of it is, you look at it and they all all imperfect in some way because they all have their imperfections. My view would be it's more important that whoever comes in commits to no dividends, no debt, building a new stadium or rebuilding Old Trafford, rebuilding the training ground, making sure the sporting project is absolutely top class, making sure the fans have great participation, making sure there's a regeneration of the Old Trafford area in the local community, making sure there's fan affordability.
"Whoever comes in with that manifesto and those pledges for me is the right owner of Manchester United. I don't think at this moment in time, I or you [Martin Tyler] can determine who the Glazer family decide to sell to. They're going to sell to the people who give them the highest penny.
"In terms of say Qatari or Saudi Arabian owners, that horse is already bolted. We're sat here in an Abu Dhabi-funded Manchester City stadium. We go up to Newcastle to a Saudi Arabian-funded Newcastle, Newcastle fans prefer Saudi Arabian ownership than they do to Mike Ashley who is an English businessman.
"So the reality of it is in this moment in time, I'm not sure how Manchester United fans are going to react to any level of ownership. But the last thing I think they will want is another leveraged-type buyout debt placed upon the club from any type of consortium.
"I think they want a debt free club, so for me that is the most important thing and then let's see what happens. But the regulator is the most important thing, so we have the lanes that every owner has to stay within, and that's whether it's the Manchester United owners, the Manchester City owners or any owner of any club in the football pyramid."
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